A guy just wasn’t going to work, Ric Chesser thought.
He was casting for Steamer 10’s production of Treasure Island, and he needed someone to play the main character, 12-year-old Jim Hawkins. Having one of the men in the company fill the role would be a tough sell, what with their facial hair and physiques, Chesser said.
Now, a woman, on the other hand … clothes could hide her figure, and her hair could be fashioned into a ponytail like men wore in Colonial times. That was perfect, since `Treasure Island` is set in 18th century England.
And so, Agnes Kapusta Skiff landed the role of Jim in `Treasure Island,` which will be staged at Steamer No. 10 in Albany on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 24 and 25, and at The Arts Center in Saratoga Springs on Saturday, Jan. 31.
`I thought she was the one who could pull it off best,` Chesser said.
`At first, you say, ‘Oh my, I have to play a 12-year-old boy,` said Kapusta Skiff. `But I think it’s really fun.`
The word `fun` came up often as Kapusta Skiff, castmate Robert Rice and Chesser talked about the play. `Treasure Island` is Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of a boy (Jim) who finds a treasure map and journeys halfway around the world in search of riches. Along the way, he matches wits with an assortment of pirates, including Long John Silver.
`It’s a great play because it has the adventure aspect,` Kapusta Skiff said. `It will keep the audience guessing.`
That’s true whether the people watching the play are young or old, Chesser said. This is the third time Steamer No. 10 has put on `Treasure Island,` and it generally appeals to just about everyone, except maybe the teenage crowd.
`Kids loves it because it’s just scary enough to give a real thrill,` Chesser said. `It’s told from the point of view of the boy, so you know that he survives — you have that. It’s also kind of a mystery. The audience figures out what’s going on at the last minutes. The kids are having a great time, and the parents are there totally engrossed.`
Chesser found himself captivated by `Treasure Island` when he was just a kid himself and figured it would be a good show to adapt for Steamer No. 10’s Kids’ Fare series. So, he sat down with the book and a highlighter, noting everything that he felt he had to be sure to include in the show.
Then, just to make sure he hadn’t overlooked any critical parts, he leafed through the Cliffs Notes for `Treasure Island.`
The finished product is certainly a condensed product — while the book features three or four chapters where Jim is crossing an island on his trip, `I managed to knock that down to 45 words,` Chesser said — but he’s confident that his version stayed true to the story.
`If you’d read the book, you’d recognize the show,` he said.
Harder to recognize might be Kapusta Skiff, who plays not only Jim but also an old, `really mean and nasty pirate.`
In one scene, she plays Jim, runs off stage and returns almost immediately as the pirate, which requires quite a vocal range, especially considering the pirate is `really raspy-voiced,` she said.
Rice juggles multiple roles, too. He’s Dr. Livesey and an assortment of pirates.
This is Rice’s second show with Steamer No. 10. In December, he appeared in `Waiting for Sinterklaas: The Search For Santa Claus,` after taking a two-year hiatus from acting while teaching English in Japan.
`I didn’t get to act at all over there,` Rice said.
That was tough because Rice, a 2002 Shaker High graduate, fell in love with acting years ago, appearing in plays and musicals throughout high school and college.
`I really like being able to dig into the characters,` he said.
He also likes being able to personalize the parts he plays. Unlike Chesser, Rice wasn’t too familiar with the story of `Treasure Island.` He’s been reading the book, but he’s made a point not to watch any film adaptations because `I want to have my own take on the characters.`
`Treasure Island` also stars Rebecca Boswell as Billy Bones, Squire Trelawney and Long John Silver. It will be staged at the Steamer No. 10 Theater, 500 Western Ave. in Albany, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25. On Saturday, Jan. 31, the show travels to Saratoga Springs for a performance at the Arts Center, 320 Broadway. For information, call 438-5503 or visit www.steamer10theatre.org.
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